258. Telegram From the Embassy in Pakistan to the Department of State1
8981. Subject: Ambassador’s Meeting With General Zia. Ref: Islamabad 89802 (Notal).
1. General Zia, Chief Martial Law Administrator, called me in at 3:00 p.m. local September third. He said he wanted to inform me and the USG that former Prime Minister Bhutto was arrested last night in Karachi. The arrest was carried out by the police, not the military, at the instance of the Lahore High Court that has before it a case of murder in which five other persons have been arrested and Mr. Bhutto appears to be a key figure.
2. General Zia said that the interests of “the state” were involved, but “we preferred to let the private case take its course in the courts”. He said he personally did not expect much reaction in the country although Bhutto’s party might have some reaction. He said there seemed to be no legal barrier to Bhutto’s contesting the election from jail; murder is a non-bailable charge and while the Supreme Court in [Page 628] theory could intervene, he did not think they were likely to. Zia gave it as his impression that in any case a large segment of Bhutto’s PPP party would contest the elections, and that the other party, the PNA, would remain united, so that effective elections could be held and a reasonably stable government formed.
3. Zia said he had wanted to inform me despite the fact that the arrest of Bhutto is an internal matter because he felt the USG could be interested in the situation and its background. I expressed appreciation that he had informed me of this significant domestic development that was of interest.
4. We assume Ambassadors from other countries important to Pakistan are also being briefed.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770323–1086. Confidential; Niact Immediate. Sent for information to New Delhi, Kabul, Dacca, Karachi, Lahore, Tehran, Jidda, Paris, and Peking.↩
- In telegram 8980 from Islamabad, September 3, the Embassy reported: “Radio Pakistan announced on its 1:00 p.m. news broadcast that former Prime Minister Bhutto was arrested early morning September third in Karachi. Reportedly, Bhutto was picked up on a murder charge being heard before the Lahore High Court. The case involves the shooting death of the father of former National Assembly member and former Bhutto supporter Ahmed Raza Qasuri.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D770320–0164)↩